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On The Record

The science and delight of fireworks!

By Melissa Gerr,
Ashley Sterner
Published July 4, 2025 at 10:05 AM EDT
Photo: Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts
Photo: Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts

What makes a firework work? On this Independence Day we speak with John Conkling, who was a chemist and former director of the American Pyrotechnic Association. This is an encore presentation, recorded in 2019, Conkling died in 2021. He describes what goes inside fireworks to make audiences say oooh and aaaah! Check here about where to see fireworks on the Fourth of July.

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On The Record WYPR ProgramsOn the RecordFireworks
Melissa Gerr
Melissa Gerr is a Senior Producer for On the Record. She started in public media at Twin Cities Public Television in St. Paul, Minn., where she is from, and then worked as a field producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting in Portland. She made the jump to audio-lover in Baltimore as a digital media editor at Mid-Atlantic Media and Laureate Education, Inc. and as a field producer for "Out of the Blocks." Her beat is typically the off-beat with an emphasis on science, culture and things that make you say, 'Wait, what?'
See stories by Melissa Gerr
Ashley Sterner
Ashley Sterner is the co-host of WYPR’s On The Record. With co-host Sheilah Kast, Ashley interviews artists, scientists, community leaders, and others.
See stories by Ashley Sterner